Lengthy queues have began to form at airports as passengers race away for Easter weekend.
Droves of passengers have already flocked to Manchester Airport this morning, preparing to make their Good Friday getaway.
A sea of red brake lights was also seen at the port of Dover in Kent today, as a queue of holidaymakers wait to check onto their ferries.
Lorries sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic further up the A20, as drivers rush to begin their Easter breaks.
Last month, the Eurotunnel quietly introduced a rule which could see families pay twice for their journeys this weekend.
LeShuttle, previously known as Eurotunnel, changed its terms and conditions for those who have booked day trip and overnight tickets.
The new rules, introduced on March 5 could mean holidaymakers who arrive less than one hour before departure – or later – will have their tickets for both their journey out and return voided.
It comes as travellers were warned to brace for miles of traffic, roadworks and chaos on the rail networks as the Easter weekend getaway began yesterday.
Cars queue at check-in to board ferries at the Port of Dover in Kent today as they race away to their Easter breaks
Droves of passengers have already flocked to Manchester Airport this morning as they prepare for their Easter break
Lorries in bumper-to-bumper traffic can be seen further up the A20, as drivers rush to being their Easter breaks
Around 19 million people are set to travel today – meaning many motorists could face snaking queues along some of Britain’s busiest motorways.
Among the worst hit, is anticipated to be the M6 around the areas of Birmingham and Blackpool, the M25’s south-western section from the M23 to M40, the M5 at Bristol and the A303 in Wiltshire.
The forecast traffic is so great that National Highways has shelved more than 1,000 miles of roadworks in a bid to keep motorways and major carriageways clear.
And those looking to escape the country entirely could also find their best laid plans scuppered, with strikes set to hit up to 50 flights a day at Gatwick Airport.
There will be no respite for people hoping to get away by train, with the situation on Britain’s railways arguably worse, as hundreds of engineering works take place.
Network Rail, making the most of an anticipated fall in commuters, is undertaking 300 projects across Britain between Good Friday and Monday, causing a number of lines to be closed.
Among the most significant effects will be at London Euston – the UK’s 10th busiest railway station – which will have no services to or from Milton Keynes on Saturday and Easter Sunday, and a reduced timetable on Good Friday and Monday.
The rail works that will hit people wanting to travel by train include renewals of overhead electric lines and drainage improvements.
Queues of people have began to emerge at Manchester Airport, suitcases in tow
Traffic was already hitting the M25 in Kent this afternoon, as people finished work
Services on the West Coast Main Line between Saturday and Monday will start and terminate at Carlisle, with replacement buses serving stations to the north.
Platforms one to eight will be closed at London Victoria, meaning no Southeastern trains will serve the station over the four-day bank holiday period.
Trains will be diverted instead via London Bridge or London Cannon Street.
Engineering work in the Southampton and Brockenhurst areas will close various lines in the region.
Helen Hamlin, Network Rail’s director of system operations, said: ‘The vast majority of the rail network will be open as usual for people wanting to travel over the Easter bank holiday, but there will be changes to services in some areas, so we’re asking passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel.
‘We carry out a large amount of our work over the Easter period as passenger numbers are lower than they typically would be, disrupting fewer journeys, and the two bank holidays either side of the weekend give us a unique opportunity to get more work done whilst keeping disruption to a minimum.’
Network Rail has said it would deliver investments totalling £86million over the Easter period.
Meanwhile, drivers are being advised to prepare for congestion around town and city centres, retail parks and major routes.
The AA estimated that 19.1 million people in the UK would drive on Good Friday, with 18.5 million hitting the road on Saturday and 18.2 million on each of Easter Sunday and Monday.
The predictions come as Steven Skeates, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said there would be ‘changeable weather for many’ during the bank holiday weekend.
An area of low pressure could bring ‘heavy and possibly even disruptive rain’ on Good Friday for parts of south-west England, Northern Ireland and South Wales, he added.
And RAC breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson suggested that if the heavy rain became a reality, ‘many drivers may have their journeys disrupted as they set off for day trips and long weekends’.
Traffic snakes its way onto the M25 near to the Dartford Crossing in Kent this afternoon
Passengers arrive at King’s Cross Station in London this afternoon as the Easter getaway starts
Passengers carrying luggage stand in the concourse at King’s Cross Station yesterday
This was the scene along the M25 motorway near Addlestone in Surrey on Thursday afternoon
She added: ‘It’s vital to plan ahead and be prepared for trips to take longer because of the wet weather and the expected getaway congestion.’
Ms Simpson said an estimated 6.2 million people were ‘undecided’ on when they will travel for an Easter leisure trip, which means ‘any sign of sun’ could spark ‘big jams’.
National Highways said it has removed roadworks from 1,127 miles of motorways and major A roads in England, meaning 97.5 per cent of its network is free of traffic cones for Easter getaways.
Tourism authority VisitEngland estimates that about 10.6million British adults are planning to take a holiday in the UK over the bank holiday period.
Meanwhile travel trade organisation Abta said approximately 2.2million Britons would head overseas during the long weekend, with Good Friday being the busiest day for travel.
Some 11,282 flights are scheduled to leave UK airports between Good Friday and Monday, according to aviation analytics company Cirium.
That is six per cent more than during last year’s Easter, but remains four per cent down from Easter 2019.
The most common international destinations for UK departures this Easter are Dublin, Amsterdam, Malaga, Alicante and Mallorca.
Meanwhile, those who do try and make the trip abroad could find themselves confronted with strike action at one airport.
Staff at Gatwick Airport are set to walk out from Good Friday until next Tuesday as part of the row over conditions, sparking warnings that up to 50 flights per day could be hit.
Ground staff at Red Handling and the union Unite are currently in dispute, with baggage handlers, check-in staff and flight dispatchers from airlines including Norwegian, Delta, TAP and Air Peace going on strike.
London Heathrow is tipped to be the busiest airport departure point, with 12,093 outbound flights across the holidays as a whole – followed by Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted.
EasyJet is expected to be the busiest airline throughout the holidays, with 10,276 departures from the UK, followed by British Airways and Ryanair.
Good Friday will be the busiest day overall for UK departures during the weekend, with almost 3,000 flights.
